


Suspense

by pennylehane



Series: split second [4]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Angst, BDSM, Blow Jobs, Bondage, Bonding, Light BDSM, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Polyamory, Polymory Negotiations, Relationship Problems, Rope Bondage, Shibari, Yoga, i guess, relationship troubles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-10-30 18:26:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10882452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennylehane/pseuds/pennylehane
Summary: Weight tugged just on the right side of painful where the ropes constricted, tight enough to cling and crush when he drew breath, but not enough to hurt. His whole body on display in a long, graceful curve.With a guilty conscience playing on his mind, Lafayette asks for something a little harsher than usual. Aaron is right to worry.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note tags + warning.

Lafayette’s hips arched up towards the ceiling. He swayed breezily in place as Aaron’s clever fingers traced along the ropes, sliding over his skin, tugging and checking. His hands were warm, a little rough from hauling the soft rope harness into place, catching and slipping in an irregular tempo on Lafayette’s skin.

“Colour?” Aaron murmured, closer than Lafayette had expected but already sounding tinny and far away.

Lafayette sighed, sinking into the ropes that held him up. “Green.”

“Are you ready to go a little further, love?”

The ropes weren’t entirely holding his weight, yet, his head and shoulders still cushioned on the bed, ankles brushing on the sheets. He nodded slowly, his hair rustling against the sheets. There was a low heave of breath as Aaron pulled him all the way into position.

Weight tugged just on the right side of painful where the ropes constricted, tight enough to cling and crush when he drew breath, but not enough to hurt. His whole body on display in a long, graceful curve. Aaron scratched his fingers slowly through Lafayette’s hair as he adjusted, a soft litany of praise hovering through the air between them.

Lafayette tipped his chin back a little further, stretching back into the hand until Aaron’s lips met his own. They were soft, chapped and full. The hand was still tangled, soothing, in his hair.

He gave a breathy sigh and fell back into the touch. “Thank you, sir.”

“There’s my angel,” Aaron praised. His other hand was smoothing up Lafayette’s thigh, until the back of his knuckles ran against Lafayette’s cock and drew out a strangled, gasping moan. Aaron chuckled.

“Sir, please,” Lafayette keened. The hand under his cock was perfectly still, the other tugged soothingly at his hair. He could feel the ropes shifting as he tensed and squirmed, silken and bulky over his skin.

Aaron hummed. “No, sweetheart, I don’t think you’ve earnt my hand yet. Try something else.”

His tone was soothing, encouraging. This was exactly what Lafayette had asked for. He cringed anyway, a whimper building up at the base of his throat. The hand was still in his hair, scratching and kneading. “I—May I have one of your toys, sir?”

“I think we can manage that.” Aaron pulled his hands away slowly, tracing over Lafayette’s skins reassuringly as they went. For a moment, he was utterly alone, and floating in his silky rope harness. Then a hand was on his thigh, fingertips kneading at the slack muscle. “Can you spread your legs for me, darling?”

It was hard. The ropes wanted to swing back down into alignment where Aaron had left them. Lafayette wanted to carve himself open. He held the new position.

Aaron’s slick finger slid past his entrance slowly, checking he was still prepped, swirling without pressing deep enough to even begin really filling him. Lafayette keened.

“Patience, sweetheart,” Aaron murmured, swatting lightly at his ass as his hand pulled back. Something cold and pliant pressed up against his rim.

Lafayette gasped, recognising the slick give of the jelly dildo, and began to wriggle eagerly, trying to bear down on the toy. The ropes swung him easily back into place, no purchase offered. He whined.

Aaron was laughing at him, free hand petting fondly at his abs. “Colour?”

Lafayette swallowed. “Green.”

The dildo slid home in one steady press, Aaron’s hand holding him in place at the small of his back. It was small and slimy, cold, giving him almost nothing as he flexed and tensed around it.

“You look so pretty, love, so pretty,” Aaron murmured, back up by his head. Lafayette preened. “Think you can show off for me?”

Lafayette bit his lip, tipping his head back until Aaron pressed a kiss against his hairline. “Yes, sir.”

He let the ropes sway him a little, drawing his legs apart, rolling his hips. Pulled even further back on them, stretching up into a tighter, more delicate arch. Bore down until the jelly dildo pressed up against his prostate, and flexed, gasping. Pushed again, and again, brows screwing tightly under his blindfold, until white-hot pleasure sparked through him again, and again. Aaron was whispering in his ear, telling him how pretty he looked, how nice it could be if he could just work a little harder, put on a little more show. Lafayette keened, still only at half-mast, struggling for traction from the jelly dildo in his ass. Every squirming roll of his hip brought him, inch by struggling inch, towards his reward. By the time he was fully hard, there were tears soaking through the blindfold from his effort, and Aaron was peppering soothing kisses over his chewed lips, almost chaste, with a soothing hand coiled into his hair as he withdrew.

“My good boy,” he murmured. “Do you want my hand, sweetheart? My mouth? You’ve been so good, darling.”

“Been good,” Lafayette repeated, dreamily.

“Colour check, sweetheart?” Aaron sounded worried.  That wasn’t right.

“Green,” Lafayette said. “Want you, want you now.”

Aaron laughed, kissed him again. Lips, then his collar, waist, hips. Hovered with his breath huffing warmly over Lafayette’s groin. Dappled more kisses up his shaft, before letting the slightest lap of tongue trace over the head.

Lafayette keened. When Aaron’s mouth slid over him, hot and wet, he bucked and felt the ropes pull him back, swaying.

Perfectly composed even with a mouthful of Lafayette’s cock, Aaron chuckled at his predicament. Lafayette squirmed and bucked again as Aaron sucked, perfect, overwhelming. He came in a crash of white light, a sound more sob than scream, and fell back limp into the harness. Instantly, he could hear Aaron up and moving, felt warm hands at the knots, sliding the ropes gently over Lafayette’s skin as they flowed undone, resting him gently back down on the bed.  

And then he was up in Aaron’s arms, the sheets folding up and bundling around him until he was cocooned in against Aaron’s chest. “My good boy,” he murmured. “Eyes shut?”

Lafayette grunted in affirmation, squinting his eyes tight shut as Aaron pulled away the blindfold, and then blinking himself back into the light. Aaron’s face was right above him, dark eyes smiling. Lafayette snuggled a little closer into his chest, trying not to notice how small Aaron felt behind him.

Aaron seemed to sense his distress, and folded the sheets more tightly around them both, leaving only his own arms free to turn on the tv.

“Soft,” Lafayette mumbled.

Aaron nodded, and put on a children’s movie, bowing his head so that he was breathing straight into Lafayette’s curls. Called him beautiful. They lay tangled together, joking and laughing at the movie, until Lafayette began to grow aware of Aaron’s finger tap-tapping against the sheets.

He huffed, and wriggled out of their huddle. “Go on, then.”

Aaron shot him a wry grin as he stood, perfectly aware that Lafayette considered it very little hardship to watch his lover stretch. Aaron swayed forwards to touch his toes first before beginning to move in slow, circling movements through his stretch routine. Through sheer force of will, Lafayette did not fall asleep until Aaron had slotted into place next to him in the bed.

***

“So, are you gonna tell me about it?”

Lafayette blinked at Aaron through the steam of his coffee. “Hmm?”

“Whatever’s bothering you.” Aaron, quite unreasonably, was perfectly awake, sipping at a glass of something suspiciously green that probably contained more nutrients than Lafayette had seen in the last month. He was still shirtless, wearing a pair of Lafayette’s sweatpants, having just finished piling their soiled fabrics into the washer. He had made breakfast, sweet and sugary, just to Lafayette’s tastes rather than his own.

“Nothing bothers me,” Lafayette said, staring down at his hands. “Are you going to the park this morning?”

Aaron fixed him with a flat, unimpressed look. “Yes. You can tell me why you’re so worried, Laf, you know I want to help.”

“I will walk with you.” He took a sip of his drink, watching Aaron carefully, and then continued before he could speak any more. “The shower is free.”

Guilt stabbed up into his lungs. Aaron sighed, lips thinning out in annoyance, and stepped into the bathroom. As soon as he heard the bathroom lock click shut, he pulled out his phone and sent one message.

_Today._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallout in the park.

Hercules rammed his hands into the pockets of his coat with entirely too much force as he stepped under the park’s gates, heading towards the lake. It caught his eye before any of the figures were clear—the delicate catch of the early morning sun on still water, dancing over the ripples’ crests.

The air was fresh and crisp in the morning’s quiet inactivity. A jogger passed him, green ponytail bouncing as she nodded along to her headphones. An older couple were sitting by the lake, leaning on each other as they watched the water birds. A young woman with a little gaggle of children was helping them feed the ducks. An overexcited dog almost bowled him down, bounding delightedly along with its roller blading owner.

And there was Aaron, on the crest of the hill, just as he liked. Wearing black leggings and a grey tank, without regard for the chill breeze swirling leaves through the air above him. He was facing the water, but Hercules knew his eyes would be half-shut, unseeing. He moved with almost ethereal grace, a dark shadow against the brightness of the grey sky, stooping low to the ground and swinging up in one slow arching motion. Even from here, Hercules could see the shake as Aaron extended his limbs to their absolute fullest extent.

There was an apple tree behind him, over the crest of the hill, with first a cloud of white blossoms, and then the sturdiness of the trunk, edging into Hercules’ vision. Someone was sitting under it, watching Aaron work through his morning routine.

The man under the tree was tall—as tall as Hercules, he would have dwarfed Aaron—and dark skinned. Thinner than Hercules, slender and lean-limbed, a thick bundle of hair pulled back behind his head, a few wiry strands falling loose over his face. He was sipping at a cup Hercules recognised as coming from the park’s little shed café, wearing loose jeans and a sharply tailored red blazer over a white tee that clung to sharply defined muscles. He would look great next to Aaron, in one of his neutral-toned cosy sweaters, leggings clinging to his calves.

The man looked up, and rose, approaching Hercules with a wide smile. “You must be Hercules!”

“Lafayette?” Hercules asked extending a hand and trying to smother his growing anxiety. He had an _accent_ , damn him.

“C’est moi!” Lafayette shook his hand with almost puppyish exuberance, pulling him back into the sunny patch where he had been sitting. “It’s such a delight to meet you at last.”

“You too. I can tell Aaron cares about you a lot.” Hercules sat.

Lafayette joined him, sipping at his drink and sitting back to watch their boyfriend stretch. “There’s no need to—put yourself short? It is clear that you are very important to Aaron also.”

***

_One, two, three, four, five…_

Aaron breathed in with the motion of his hands, eyelids almost shut to keep out the morning sun’s hazy glare. His heart rate slowed to a slow, tidal motion ringing in his ears.

Slow motion. Smooth, steady. Let the blood ripple, spreading up through the muscles into rolling waves. The wind wrapped around him, chill over the bare skin of his arms and shoulders. There was nothing.

Rose slowly onto one leg, pulling the other up in a dragging stretch over his own head until the muscles of his back screamed in protest. Held it.

He caught the soft bubble of Lafyette’s voice on the air behind him. Not loud enough to be addressed to him—accompanied by a lower voice, gruffer, just as familiar.

Aaron stumbled in his haste to turn, eyes snapping open. And icy rush of panic shuddered over his bones like the crackle of ice floes scraping against each other. Hercules and Lafayette were sitting together under the heavy boughs of apple blossom. Chatting, Lafayette sipping on his coffee and Hercules tapping absently at his phone. Sitting close together, as if they had known one another for years. 

Aaron must have made a sound, because they both turned to look at him, and stood to approach him. He took a step back.

“Aaron!” Lafayette called, smiling, pulling Hercules forwards by the wrist. “Look who I found!”

Hercules had the grace to look a little shamefaced. “I--”

“What are you doing here?” Aaron stumbled over his own tongue in the frantic effort of keeping the shock out of his voice.

“Looking for us,” Lafayette replied. “As I asked him to.”

“Why?” Aaron demanded. Wet, angry heat pricking at the back of his eyes. Not now. He counted back down from ten in his head, trying to control the seizing in his throat. 

“You were never going to introduce us,” Hercules said, pulling his arm free of Lafayette’s grip. “It was hurting us both, Aaron.”

He felt his fingers twitch microscopically, wanting to curl into fists. “And you couldn’t have told me that? You had to go behind my back?”

“I have tried talking to you, mon cher--”

“Don’t.”

“Aaron, let him talk.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, Hercules.” His voice didn’t raise, or shake, or grow shrill, even if he did sound like a petulant child. He stooped to pick up his hoodie.

Lafayette’s hand fell lightly on his wrist. “Aaron, please. Walk with us?”

“This is what you were so upset about, isn’t it?” he asked. “I was _worried_ about you, Laf, and you were just feeling guilty because you were going behind my back and lying to me about it?”

“You promised to bring us together eventually, Aaron. Who lied first?”

That wasn’t fair. “I was going to. When I was ready.” He pulled on his hoodie and shook his head, hard, turning to walk away.

“Aaron, please don’t storm off.” Hercules wasn’t grabbing at him, but Aaron felt trapped all the same.

“You two go get coffee. Get to know each other,” he said curtly. They'd figure out what they'd figure out, it was out of his hands. Out of his control. The lump in his throat was so painful that he half thought it might be tearing its way out. “I don’t want to have this conversation right now.”

“Oh, and you expect us to believe you were ever going to?” Hercules called after him. Aaron ignored him, and walked back towards the path at a steady, measured pace. At least they had the decency not to follow him. He made it out of the park before the panic slammed all the air out of him, almost buckling his knees. He pulled out his phone and texted his roommate to pick him up. While he waited, he moved along the wall, and tucked himself into a narrow crevice where neither Lafayette nor Hercules would find him if they came looking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This stole my regular update slot from Chills because I really wanted to do this scene, so please tell me what you think! More Emotion (TM) to follow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laf and Herc get to know one another while Aaron freaks out.

“I do mean it,” Lafayette said, breathing in a deep draught of his coffee’s steam. “I am sorry, that he was so upset.”

“We both knew it was coming.” Hercules sounded anything but sure, fingers tapping at the sides of his own cup.

Lafayette sighed, slouching forwards over the table. “I thought he would be angry. Not hurt.”

“You ever seen Aaron angry?” Hercules asked, cocking an eyebrow.

The coffee was hot and peppermint-laden, just a pinch of chocolate. His lips tingled when he took a slow sip. “Non. Have you?”

“Not really.”

They held one another’s gaze over the rackety plastic patio table. The clouds passed over them in fluffy streaks of grey, following the winds as it twisted and curled around Lafayette’s shoulders, leaving him shuddering. Hercules broke eye contact to look past Lafayette with deliberate precision. “He’s a very private person.”

“Oui.” It had been easier earlier. Speaking to Hercules. It had been easier before Aaron had noticed them. Now Lafayette could barely focus, his gaze twitching treacherously towards the park’s gate where Aaron had left.

Hercules, by contrast, was fixed entirely on Lafayette, as though he wanted something. It made Lafayette’s gut twist anxiously, rebelling against the hot drink. “So, you, uh— you and Aaron?”

Lafayette blinked. “That is not a question.”

“I mean—what’s your deal? Are you, you know, casual? Serious?” An edge that might have been cruel flickered across Hercules’ lips. “Just fucking?”

Lafayette flinched. “Quite serious, I suppose?” It was weak, and he knew it. He had not been expecting an attack.

Hercules shrugged. “Think you will be after this?”

Lafayette felt his shoulders jerk downwards in the flinch he was trying to avoid. “I--”

“I’m sorry,” Hercules said, looking down at Lafayette’s hands. “I didn’t mean to--”

“You are not comfortable with our—arrangement,” Lafayette said, understanding. He bit his lip, almost ashamed. “I should apologise. I wished to meet with you only out of—curiosity, I think. I assumed you to be likewise.”

 “Oh.” Hercules knocked back a huge gulp of his drink, as if he was going to stand up and leave—

Lafayette grabbed his sleeve, almost knocking over both cups. “Hercules. Stay. I am the one who—if there are problems in your relationship with Aaron, it is my introduction that has caused them. Talk to me.”

“That’s not…” Hercules trailed off, frowning. “I don’t know.”

“Know?” Lafayette was acutely aware of his phone weighing down his pocket. Not ringing.

Hercules was fidgeting too, now, his gaze flicking within a hair’s breadth of Lafayette’s face and then jerking away, jittery. “Does he—with you—he never, you know, finishes?”

 _“Comment dis-tu?”_ Lafayette yelped, almost tipping his coffee into their laps.

Hercules made a distressed whining noise, head tipping a little to the side as he refused to meet Lafayette’s wide-eyed gaze. “You know.”

“I suppose—I mean, no, _mais_ —no. He does not, I had assumed it was a preference, or—with you?”

The awkwardness was palpably firm in the air between them, crawling down their throats and lodging there. But Hercules’ shoulders sagged in relief. “It’s just him then? Aaron doesn’t--”

“Oh!” Lafayette leaned forwards, clasping Hercules’ hand in dismay. “You thought he didn’t--”

“Yeah.” Hercules had large, callused hands that did not pull out from under Lafayette’s. “I should apologise. I guess I got insecure, and he’s hurt.”

Lafayette felt a smile break out over his face, relieved. “We both owe him an apology, I think. That does not mean that we were entirely wrong. A relationship such as ours requires trust, does it not?”

“Trust,” Hercules repeated. “Yeah. I just thought—a lot of what Aaron and I do—don’t look like that, I’m not gonna spill the grisly details in a coffee shop, come on—but it gets pretty heavy. If he was upset with me, and he didn’t say anything—I could really hurt him.”

Lafayette quashed the urge to ask if the two of them played safe. Trust. “Aaron is hurt, and he wishes space. He will come back to us.”

Hercules looked like he might be about to argue, but instead pulled out his phone. “I’m gonna make sure someone’s with him.”

“Do so,” Lafayette agreed, and then leaned forwards, resting his chin on his hands. “And then, you can tell me all about yourself.”

***

The car rolled to a halt under Aaron’s apartment building. He didn’t move.

There was a sigh, and a rustle as Jon unclipped his seatbelt and opened the door. The slam when it close made Aaron jolt, but not enough to pull his head out of his hands. Then the door was opening, and warmth fluttered over his chest as Jon undid his seatbelt. Firm arms wrapped around him, trying to pull Aaron to his feet. He slumped.

“Really?”

Aaron flinched at Jon’s fond annoyance, but relaxed when he was scooped carefully into Jon’s arms. Barely registered the slamming door and beep of car keys.

The panic had hit him almost the moment he left the park, hands already shaking by the time he had managed to tell Jon where he was, and then mounted, building like a bellows in his chest until he was shaking and struggling to breath, movement barely registering in a flicker of confused colours over his eyes. He was only even half sure it was Jon’s car he had stumbled into.

He felt the arm holding him shift awkwardly, and heard the door swing open. Jon carried him in a few more endless paces onto the couch, and sat down with Aaron on his lap. He slumped, unmoving.

“It’s been a _really_ long time since I saw you this bad,” Jon said in a carefully conversational tone.

Aaron buried his face in his friend’s shirt. “Sorry.”

“I’m worried, Aaron.”

Of course he was, because Aaron was panicking like a child over something that was out of his hands and out of his control, and wasn’t worth worrying about. His stomach twisted. “Sorry.”

Jon sighed, and held him a little tighter, as though Aaron deserved the comfort. “Okay. Okay.” He sounded exhausted. Aaron almost apologized again, but was cut off by his own cringe at the sound of Jon’s phone. Jon shuffled Aaron up so he could reach into his pocket. “May I?”

Aaron nodded. Jon pulled the phone out, and he could just hear the sound of fingers on the screen. He sighed, and the weight of his head tipped down onto Aaron’s shoulder.

“Is it bad?” Aaron asked.

“No,” Jon said softly, his breath warm against Aaron’s neck. “They’re worried, too.”

Aaron felt his heart judder out of rhythm, and snorted in disbelief.

 _“Aaron,”_ he chided. “Talk to me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Jon groaned. “No. _Talk_ to me.”

“They hate me.” Aaron’s weight had to be making Jon uncomfortable, he should move. He started shifting, already mourning the safety of his hold, but found Jon’s arms tighter around him. “Both of them.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Lied to them.”

“They lied to you too,” Jon said, far too gentle.

Aaron shook his head. “Different.”

Jon sighed again.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Aaron.” Jon sighed, yet again. Aaron’s stomach curled in guilt. He sounded so tired. “You know you won’t feel better until you’ve done something. How about you tell me what to say to them, then we can go into the kitchen and make lunch. Watch a movie?”

He didn’t want to move. “Okay.”

Jon helped Aaron sit up, until they were cuddled up on the couch together. “Your phone or mine?”

“Mine.” Aaron pulled it out. No messages. They hated him.

“They promised me they’d leave you alone until you wanted to talk,” Jon said, soothing. “Do you want to talk to them?”

Aaron shook his head, and then remembered Jon didn’t like it when he wouldn’t talk. “No.”

“Then we’re going to text them, is that okay?”

“Yes.” Aaron forced his eyes to focus properly, unlocking his phone. “What do you want me to say?”

“What do you need to tell them?” Jon was solidly present against his side. Aaron opened a message to both Hercules and Lafayette.

His hands were still shaking. Less now. He stared at the screen.

“When do you want to see them?”

“They don’t--”

“You don’t know what they think. Just that they’re worried about you.”

Aaron sighed, and obediently tapped out a text saying he would see them both the next day for dinner. He knew they were free. Before he could even see if either of them had read it, he turned off his phone.

Jon hugged him again, and then pulled them both up off the couch towards the kitchen. “Well done, Aaron, so proud of you.”

Aaron kept close to his friend, cringing, knowing that his presence was getting in the way of the cooking but not _quite_ willing to move. Jon, for his part, kept Aaron in a firm, breakable grip where he could feel like he was wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hercules, I love you and all, but what the heck are your priorities... Don't worry, they're gonna actually talk to each other _next_ chapter. 
> 
> Hopefully this isn't all super OOC? Let me know what you think in the comments, or come chat on [tumblr](http://pennylehane.tumblr.com/). I literally always just want to get excited about Things.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reconciliation.

He had picked a café on the edge of town, an old place that still had blocky, high-walled booths left over from when it had been a diner. Plenty of privacy. Aaron arrived three quarters of an hour early, and stood on the sidewalk staring up at the sign.

It was pink and grey and chipped away to reveal cheap pale plywood. The wind swirled down from it, stripping new flakes away before curling over Aaron, chill drawing over his skin despite the bright, cloudless sky.

A burning hot hand fell lightly over his arm. He jolted and froze, every joint locking in place.

“It’s me,” Jon said, despite being the only person standing anywhere near him. Squeezed his arm a little. “You want me to come in with you?”

A lot. Aaron felt his fingers twitching with the urge to fidget, and quashed it. “I said just the three of us.”

“I can wait out here.” Jon was staring down at him, all kind eyes and soft smile like that was a completely normal thing to offer someone.

Aaron huffed. “We might be hours.”

“I brought a book.” Because he had known how ridiculous Aaron was going to be about this.

“I’m sorry.” It upset Jon when he apologised. “I’m—I mean, I don’t want to make you waste your time. You have things to do.”

“I scheduled in at least three days of cuddling you when you called from outside the park.”

Startled, Aaron blinked up at him and turned, finally able to feel his fingertips. They were tingling.

Jon was looking down with a wicked little grin, teasing. “Found you.”

“You don’t have to wait. I’ll be okay.” Aaron bit his lip. “They wouldn’t do anything.”

“How about I drive back round the corner and wait in that coffee shop we passed? My laptop’s in the car, I can work, just like I would be at home?”

He was being coddled. “Please.”

“Okay.” Jon leaned forwards and strong arms were wrapping around Aaron’s torso. “If either of them hurts you, you come straight back.”

“They won’t hurt me.”

“I didn’t mean _hit_ you, Aaron.” Jon’s brow twitched like he was trying not to frown, because he was always careful with Aaron. “I mean, if they do, I’m gonna—”

“Don’t.” Aaron managed to make his arms moved, and hugged Jon back. Then he stepped into the café and found a booth, ordered a cup of tea, and didn’t watch Jon walk away.

***

Lafayette sped up as he caught sight of Hercules’ coat on the road ahead of him, meeting him just as he reached to door to the café.

“Herc!”

He turned, hand fumbling the handle. “Lafayette?”

“Don’t look as though you’re shocked to see me.” Lafayette forced a tight smile. “Shall we?”

Hercules grabbed his arm, gave it a reassuring squeeze, and pulled him through the door.

Only when he caught sight of Aaron, half-standing as he stumbled out of a booth, blinking too fast but otherwise smiling and natural, did Lafayette realise that they had arrived together. A united front. He pulled out of Herc’s hold, stepping forwards to catch Aaron in a hug.

He could feel stiffness in Aaron’s shoulders, melting into his embrace. Breathed in the honeyish scent of Aaron’s shower gel. The world froze for three perfect heartbeats, and then shattered into new perfection as Hercules’ arms encircled them both. Strong and shaking.

They pulled apart before any of them could become too aware of the eyes of the room. Looked down at the booth, each struggling with the mathematical impossibility of an equal discussion. After a moment, with a fond huff of disbelief, Aaron slid into the side facing the door, in the middle of the bench. Lafayette took the hint with a glimmer of hope tickling his lungs, and pushed Hercules in between himself and the window.

“I’m sorry,” Aaron said, dark eyes pinned on his lap.

“Aaron, no,” Herc said, propping his elbows on the table and leaning forwards. Lafayette sat back against the bench, watching the approaching waitress cautiously. “I’m sorry. You wanted to wait, and we should have respected that.”

Aaron gave them another smile, shaking his head. “I’m sorry I worried you.”

Laf held up a hand to stop them as the waitress set her tray down on the table.

“Got your drinks, you boys want food?” she asked, all smiles and bouncy curls.

“No, thank you.” Lafayette waved her off as politely as he could, and picked up his drink. The scent of peppermint and coffee hit him and he melted, saw Aaron’s gaze flicker up to watch his reaction. “Thank you, Aaron.”

This time the smile was real, glittering in the corners of Aaron’s eyes. Lafayette turned to Hercules, who was taking a deep gulp from his mug with shaking hands. He pulled away with a nod. “Yeah. Yeah, thank you.”

“Hercules left his number in the gift box,” Lafayette said, calmly. “I told him where we would be, and asked him to come along.”

Aaron nodded, only a little jerky. “You were right. I was putting it off.”

“We should have talked to you instead of going behind your back,” Herc cut in.

Lafayette rolled his eyes. “Not that we didn’t try.”

Herc, shyness apparently extending only to Aaron, elbowed him in the side. Hard.

“I’m sorry,” Aaron said again, and all eyes were on him. “I think—I’m glad, though. You seem to like each other.”

“I’m not fond of his elbows.” The comment drew a startled laugh out of Hercules, and finally Aaron smiled properly, a flash of teeth and a huffy giggle. Lafayette kicked forwards a little to hook his ankle around Aaron’s.

“You’re right, though.” Hercules’ arm looped around Lafayette, his other hand creeping across the table to Aaron. “I like him. You’ve got great taste in men.”

They were laughing again, Aaron uncurling to clasp Hercules’ arm. “Guess I do,” he said, blinking up at Laf through thick eyelashes, faunishly sweet.

“Then maybe we—we all can talk?” Lafayette asked.

Hercules’ arm squeezed his shoulders. “Talking sounds good.”

“Talking,” Aaron repeated. He took a long drink of his own pink fruity tea. Laf wrinkled his nose as the scent hit him. Aaron set the glass down with a clunk. “Yeah. Let’s talk.”

***

They wound up at Aaron’s, the closest they had to neutral ground. His roommate arrived to give them a ride, suspiciously fast, and let them settle on the couch together while he fixed drinks.

He came back in, and handed out mugs of cocoa before perching on the armchair. Herc had met him, though just the once, but Lafayette apparently hadn’t, watching him curiously with one hand petting at Aaron’s side in an absent gesture.

“Any preferences, not from Aaron?” Jon asked, tipping back towards the couch impishly.

The cushion was disturbed as Aaron made a rude gesture, cosying a little more into Hercules’ side. “Mean.”

“I like Aaron’s taste in movies,” Lafayette protested, stretching out to tangle his legs with Aaron’s. “But something quiet would be nice.”

“No romcoms,” Aaron mumbled.

Hercules moved so that his chest wasn’t completely covering Aaron’s face. “Try again.”

“No romcoms, please.”

“Oh _come on_ , just _once_!” Jon threw a cushion irritably at Aaron, nailing him square in the face and dissolving instantly into giggles.

When Lafayette joined in, Aaron snatched up the cushion and smacked him with it.

Herc jerked forwards and yanked it back. “Not when you’re sitting on top of my junk,” he said sharply. “Quit it.”

Maybe too sharply. Aaron leaned back, shifting so he was lying fully on Hercules’ chest, warm and weightless. Gave him a tentative wink. “Gonna make me?”

When Hercules tore his gaze off the long, smooth curve of Aaron’s neck where he was craning to look up at him, he met Lafayette’s gaze. Hungry, honey-brown eyes. Not moving.

“Okay, okay, okay, you can pick the movie, just don’t have an orgy on the couch!” Jon broke in.

Herc choked and jerked, almost dropping Aaron. Aaron rolled, almost hiding where he was tucked under Herc’s arm. Lafayette laughed at them, clearly unashamed, and moved a little closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of story! I know I didn't really go into much detail, but this was meant to be resolution rather than plot-heavy. There's more to come in the series, though, and prompts are open on [my tumblr!](http://pennylehane.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> The title is a pun, guys, the title is a pun. I regret everything. 
> 
> Also, a rogue plot finally appears!


End file.
